Otto bartel



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O, BART-EL.

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INVENTR WIINESSES.-

Blf/MVM T T ORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO BARTEL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PENDULUM CLOCK.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 527,233, dated October 9,1894.

Appiioation flied rune 11.1894.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OTTO BARTEL, a resident of the city, county, and'State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mantel Pendulum Clocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mantel pendulum clocks, and has for its object to produce a mantel pendulum clock having a pendulum so constructed that the clock can be transported, shipped or tumbled about without deranging or injuring the clock.

To this end my invention consists in a clock provided with guide or guard rails and with a pendulum adapted to eo-operate with the rails to guide or to support the pendulum when the clock is turned into a position other than the normal position of operation. For this purpose I use preferably a rigid pendulum rod with a lexible spring at its upper end hung through the slot of a stud. From this rod the ball ishung so that it can be moved up or down for regulating purposes. In clocks of this character as .hitherto constructed it has been customary to suspend the pendulum from one point by a flexible spring. When now the clock, by any accident, became inverted the pendulum ball became displaced and the weight thereof served to bend or distort the flexible spring in such a manner as to cause the pendulum ball to swing untrue when the clock was replaced in its normal position, resultingin deranging the clock to such an extent that it would stop. Now by my invention I am enabled to obviate these defects by providing an additional means for the support of the pendulum ball, which means of support is normally out of operation when the clock is in its normal position of operation, but which comes into operation as soon as the clock is tilted out of the said normal position, all of which will more fully hereinafter appear.

I attain the object of my said invention by means of the mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings, in,which Figure l is a rear view of the retaining frame of an ordinary clock movement showing my invention applied thereto. Figs. 2, 8, 4, 5 and 6 show modifications of my invention. Fig. 7 is a detail view showing the preferred method of suspending the pendusariuiro. 514,153.r (No modem lum rod of my said invention. Fig. 8 is a detail view of another modification of my invention.

In the drawings, A is one of the plates of a clock movement.

a is aslotted stud for suspending the pendulum rod, which pendulum rod may be of any ordinary construction, but which I have shown as a rigid rod b terminating in a dexible spring c passing freely through a slot in the stud o. and suspended therein in any usual manner as by a stud d. Hung from the pendulum rod in any suitable manner is a pendulum ball e which may be provided with means for regulating the position of the ball on therod such as shown in Figs. 2,3 and 4. One or more guard rails or rods f are mounted in proximity to the pendulum and approximatelyin the plane of its swing. 'lhese rods may be mounted upon the clock case or upon the plate A in any suitable manner such as by being attached to studs g projecting from the plate A. To co-operate with these guard rails or rods I provide upon the pendulum one or more guiding or suspending devices which may be of various forms and carried upon various parts of the pendulum. I have shown some of these forms in the drawings, but I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to these forms, as other and analogous forms will readily suggest themselves to those who may desire to enjoy the fruits of my invention.

I have shown the guiding devices in Fig. l as rings h carried above and below the ball and surrounding the guard rails or rods f.

In Fig. 2, I have shown the rails or rods f as approximately parallel to the plane of the swing of the pendulum and for the guiding ydevices I have provided staples j carried upon the pendulum ball, and it will be quite obvious (as in the preceding figure) that one of the rods and its co-operating guiding device may be omitted from this construction, if desired.

In Fig. 3 I have shown the pendulumball as grooved or recessed as at n to accommodate the guard rails f on either side of it, the grooves or recesses co-operating with the guard rails to guide and support the pendulum when the clock is out of its normal position.

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In Fig. 4, I have shown the guard rails as formed from a slotted plate k, and for a guiding device I have shown a stud o projecting from the pendulum and working in the slot between the rails. It will be quite obvious that this stud may be mounted upon the pendulum ball or upon the pendulum rod, as may be desired.

In Fig. 5, I have shown the pendulum ball perforated, as at Z, and the guard rail f as extending through the perforation.

In Fig. 6, I have shown a pair of guard rails, one on either side of the pendulum ball, and pins or studs m projecting from the pendulum ball to co-operate with the guard rails.

In Fig. 8 I have shown a pendulum swinging between rails which are placed so near together that they will form a support for the pendulum ball when the clock is inverted.

lVhen a clock constructed in accordance with my invention is in the normal position, that is to say, when it is placed upon a level or substantially level support or mantel, the swing of the pendulum will be unimpeded and the action will be the same as in any ordinary clock, and the guard rails will perform no function. If, however, the clock be inverted or held in some other unnatural position or shaken up or otherwise abused, the guard rails will co-operate with the pendulum to limit the fall of the pendulum and to form additional supports for the pendulum, and will take the strain of the weight of the pendulum when in these unusual positions from the flexible spring, and will prevent any leXure or other injury thereto.

If the pendulum be suspended in the preferred way, as shown in Fig. 7, and the clock inverted, the pendulumball will be supported by the guard rail or rails alone and no strain will come upon the flexible spring as the same will slide in the slot in the stud a and keep the position shown in dotted lines in said ligure.

It will thus be seen that I have produced a clock in which the pendulum will be supported independently of the usual support when the clock is placed in an unusual position and in which the free swing of the pendulum will be in no wise impeded when the clock is in its normal position for operation.

Vhile I have shown and described specific devices for accomplishing this purpose, I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein shown, but wish to include all equivalent structures for attaining the end, as the devices, their construction and arrangement may be greatly varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure b v Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination withapendulum,of one or more guide or guard rails mounted in proximity thereto, the said guard rails co-operating with the pendulum to guide and support the same when the pendulum has been turned to a position other than the normal operating position thereof, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a pendulum, of one or more guide or guard rails mounted in proximity thereto, and guiding devices upon the pendulum co-operating with the guard rails to guide and support the pendulum when the same has been turned to a position other than the normal operating position thereof, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a pendulum provided with one 0r more guiding openings, of one or more guard rails cooperating with the guiding openings to guide and support the pendulum when the saine has been turned into a position other than the normal operating position, substantially as described.

4C. The combination of a pendulum provided with apertures, of guards or rails cooperating with the walls of said apertures, as and for the purpose as described.

5. An apertured pendulum in combination with one or more guards or rails extending through the aperture, as and for the purpose as described.

6. The combination of a freely swinging pendulum, of supports extraneous to the pendulum, and one or more guiding devices on the pendulum normally out of engagement with the support when the pendulum is in the normal position of operation, and adapted to co-operate with the support to support the pendulum when the same has been moved into a position other than the normal position of operation, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

7. In a clock movement, the combination of one or more guide rails f, a pendulum provided with one or more rings h through which the guide rail or rails extend, substantially as described.

OTTO BARTEL.

Vitnesses:

HARRY M. TURK, GEO. E. MORSE.

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